The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Yocalcuttaxe2x80x99.
The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. The objective of the breeding program is to create new potted Chrysanthemum cultivars that are suitable for year-round production with uniform plant growth habit, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast response time, and excellent postproduction longevity.
The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross made by the Inventor in March, 1996, in Salinas, Calif., of a proprietary Chrysanthemum seedling selection identified as code number YB-4620, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary Chrysanthemum seedling selection identified as code number YB-4198, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross grown in a controlled environment in Salinas, Calif. The selection of this plant was based on its uniform plant growth habit, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast response time, and excellent postproduction longevity. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of the parent selections in ray floret coloration.
Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in Fort Myers, Fla. in July, 1997. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Yocalcutta has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength, and/or light level, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly oserved and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Yocalcuttaxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Yocalcuttaxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum:
1. Uniform and upright plant habit.
2. Freely branching growth habit and strong stems.
3. Dark green and glossy foliage.
4. Uniform flowering response.
5. Typically grown as a disbud-type.
6. Early flowering, eight-week response time.
7. Very large decorative-type inflorescencs that are about 10.9 cm in diameter.
8. Dark soft orange ray florets with yellow apices.
9. Excellent postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good substance and color for at least three weeks in an interior environment.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the cultivar Dark Bronze Charm, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,801. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the cultivar Dark Bronze Charm in ray floret coloration and in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower more uniformly than plants of the cultivar Dark Bronze Charm.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have larger inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Dark Bronze Charm.
3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have broader ray florets than plants of the cultivar Dark Bronze Charm.